To inaugurate a summer full of action-(and hunk-)packed comic-book flicks, we take a nice long look at the year's hottest big-screen superheroes.

Played by:Chris EvansComic crib sheet: The über-patriot made his debut in 1941 and became one of the wartime period's most popular comic characters. His alter ego, Steve Rogers, was a sickly—but scrappy—young man who the Army turned into a WWII super-soldier through the use of an experimental serum. The Cap' later became the leader of a superhero task force, the Avengers.On-screen hotness factor: 5/5

Men of Steel

Men of Steel

Captain America: The First Avenger

Chris Evans begins the film as a scrawny 98-pound Rogers—created through the use of that Benjamin Button FX technology that we've be asking someone to explain to us since 2008—which makes us, um, appreciate his hard-earned superhero physique all the more.In theaters: July 22